The Mom's Book of Worries

My little princess hates to sleep in her bed I think. I haven't found a pea under the mattress yet, but I'm still looking for one.

One day we find our peanut in her closet fast asleep with her blanket under her head. most mornings she is lying across the width of her bed with her blanket over her head, or with it tucked under her pillow.

We tried darkening the room, but this morning we find her passed out on the living room carpet. Thankfully she couldn't get any of the doors to the outside open.

We don't know if this is sleepwalking, or just her way of being independent. She loves to get her beauty sleep, so we are scratching our heads at this one. Our son, we would know he just didn't want to go to bed, but with our daughter the reasons elude us.

I found a helpful tidbit on sleepwalking toddlers if you ever experience this with one of your precious charges.

SLEEPWALKING TODDLERS:

"Sleepwalking and sleep talking happen when a child is in a deep sleep. While sleepwalking, your child may have a blank, staring face. They may not respond to others and be very difficult to awaken. When your child does wake up, they will probably not remember the episode. Sleepwalking children will often return to bed by themselves and will not even remember that they have gotten out of bed. Sleepwalking can be common, and tends to run in families. It can even occur several times in one night among older children and teenagers.
How to handle sleepwalking and sleep talking:

• Make sure your child doesn't hurt them self while sleepwalking. Clear the bedroom area of potential hazards that your child could trip over or fall on.
• Lock outside doors so your child cannot leave the house.
• Block stairways so your child cannot go up or down.
• There is no need to try to wake your child when they are sleepwalking or sleep talking. Gently lead them back to bed and they will probably settle down on their own.

Sleepwalking and sleep talking are more likely to occur when your child is overly tired or under stress. Keeping your child's sleep schedule regular may help prevent sleepwalking and sleep talking."